The Rain Continues

   It is still raining! It stopped for a short time this afternoon and I sneaked out to pull some weeds but that didn't last long. Everything was very wet and, although the weeds came out easily, I was soon wrist deep in dirt. So the rest will have to wait until everything dries out a bit.

    I made some scones this afternoon with a new recipe and I think I will stick with it as they turned out well. The recipe called for buttermilk but I had to substitute plain milk with some butter added. The scones were crisp on the outside and soft in the middle and delicious with some homemade strawberry rhubarb jam, my mid-afternoon treat!

   Still some chicken left for dinner but tonight I will make a kale casserole with lots of cheese to go with it. I picked the kale during a dry spell this afternoon. There's nothing like freshly picked fruit and vegetables. I think I will get a picking of raspberries tomorrow!

A rather soggy back yard!

Kale fresh from the garden.....

.....and scones (minus one) fresh from the oven.

Deterioration in the Weather

   Started the day watching the final of the Women's tennis tournament from Eastbourne. Very exciting and the newcomer won over the veteran. This is a lead up to Wimbledon which starts on Monday. A short trip to the grocery store - I didn't need much - then made some soup for lunch. There were still some sandwiches left from yesterday's lunch (I always make too many as the kids can be a bit unpredictable) so finished them off.

    It was a cool start to the day and has been raining since early this afternoon with the temperature continuing to drop. It's about 16C now which is unseasonably cool. Hope it dries up for tennis tomorrow and the rest of the week! Spent the afternoon reading a new book from the library - "One Plus One" by Jojo Moyes and now I am watching a couple of cooking shows, one from Spain and the other, the food of Mexico. The chef is making carnitas which is marinated and roasted pork on a taco smothered in guacamole. Looks juicy and delicious! I will be eating the leftover Tuscan chicken for dinner tonight. But first a glass of wine and tostitos and dip.

Visitors

   I was up bright and early this morning to turn on the pool heater as I was expecting the grandkids for the morning. They arrived around 8:30 and settled in with books, toys and exploring my basement (Natalie has converted one of the areas into a home away from home with all her special stuff ) while I watched a tennis match from the UK.

    Later we took a stroll down to Tim Horton's - a pleasant visit as they chose their treats with a minimum of fuss while I drank my coffee. Even James was quick with his choice - a Blue Jays doughnut!  On the way home we stopped at the park for a little while, played on the splash pad (James), climbed the "mountain" (Natalie and Elliot) and watched from a bench (me). It was a beautiful morning, sunny but with a fresh breeze.

    Home again and I got Elliot set up to clean the pool. He did a reasonable job of it and got right in the water after his hard work. The other two followed shortly after and stayed in for almost an hour. By then it was getting close to lunch time so I got them dried off and back into their clothes while I started on lunch, egg and salmon sandwiches and soup.

   Judy came to pick them up around 2:00 and since then I have been waiting for the furnace guy to come for my annual checkup. However, he has not appeared and I am afraid we may have been in the back yard when he called and didn't hear him. I guess I will have to reschedule.

   I made my favourite chicken dish for dinner tonight (and tomorrow night and probably Sunday too, if I'm not bored with it by then). I call it Tuscan chicken as it is from a book about Tuscany. The chicken gets cooked in a pot with artichokes, sun-dried tomato pieces and chickpeas. It calls for red wine but I used marsala which is a very tasty alternative. I overcooked it a bit (too busy playing bridge on the computer) but it was still good.

Looking good, James! Isn't he a cutie!!

Lunch Out

    Tennis first thing this morning but I didn't stay long - felt a bit wiped after an hour. We only had three on our court and took turns being on the single side.

    Met with the ladies from Probus for the RODEO lunch. It was held at Bluffer's Restaurant down by the lake, a very picturesque location and nice room. There were 15 of us and I had a seafood quiche with a lovely salad, also a glass of wine. So I am still not hungry but will have a small meal later.

    I came home for a nap and, unfortunately, slept until 4:45. I must have been bushed, or maybe it was the wine! I may have trouble sleeping tonight.